Convertible flat-bottom freight-car and dump-car.



W. P. BETTENDORF DBGD.

J. W. BETISNDOBI, ADIIHIBTBATOR. CONVERTIBLE FLAT BOTTOM FREIGHT CAR AND DUMP GAR. APPLICATION FILED 0011.26, 1910. 1,05 ,490, Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

4 BHEETSSHEET 1.

w; P. BETTENDORF, DBGI LW. BETTEHDORI, AIDXIIIBTBATQB. vCONVERTIBLE FLAT BOTTOM FREIGHT CAR AND DUlIP GAR.

, I Arfuon'nolt FILED 001226, 1910. 1,056,490. PatentedMar. 1a, 1913 4 sums-sum 2.

'WLP. BETTBNDORF, mzc'n. J. W. BETTBKDOBI, ADMINISTRATOR. CONVERTIBLE FLAT BOTTOM FREIGHT CAR AND DUMP OAR.

(SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l V QZ-ZJ/e 71%", mzzlmiwmmmmwm wneuzfiew Y i W W. P. BETTENDORF, DECD. I. w. BBTTENDORF, ADMINISTRATOR. CONVERTIBLE FLAT BOTTOM FREIGHT CAR AND DUMP GAR.

APPLICATION FILED 00126, 1910. 1,056,490. Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

vertible [Flat-Bottom Dump-Cars. of whichthefollowing 1s a full,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM P. BETTENDORF, DECEASED, LATE 0F BETTENDORF, IOWA; BY 'IIOSEPILW. B ETTENDORF, ADMINISTRATOR, 0F DAVENPORT, IOWA.

CONVERTIBLE FLAT-BOTTOM FREIGHT-CAR AND DUMP-clan.

To ullivlzom it nmg concern:

Be it known that \ViLLIAM P. BETTEN- noar, deceased'.-late a citizen of the United States. residing at Bettendorf. in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, did invent certain new and useful Improvements in Con- F-reight-Cars and clear. and exact description.

This invention relates to freight cars which are adapted to be converted from flat-floored cars into hopper-bottomed cars. or vice versa;

At present. the railroads are subjected to great expense in'returning cars empty from their criginal destinations back to their points of original shipment. This is due to a vcr v great extent tothe fact that cars are usuall v built to carrv only a certaingeneral class of commodity. and are unsuitable for carrying other classes. For example. the hopper-bottomedcars which are used to carry grain from the northern and western countries 'tothe' eastern markets. are not adapted to carrv back machinery. lumber, package freight produced principally in the East. and other commodities for which there is such a great'demand and such .1 limited supply in grain raisingcommunities. If. however. these hopper-bottomed grain-cars could be expeditiously and economically converted into regular flat-bottomed cars, of

the box-car t vpe."the v would then be available for transporting freight of almost any description. and coulddbe kept in constant profitable service. Y

Tliebbject ofthis invention is to accomplish this conversion quicklyand economica'llv'bv ordinary' labor without the assistance ofispecial'devi'ces, machinery or facilities I M25 I Another'objectis 'to avoid the necessity of emplovinginoref thanfone set of floor elements for thend portions of boih kinds 10f "is e t im f pen the consti up on of this kind of car. I

cars, "ind other And another ob' ect is to adopt n allinetalconstriictiontorfthis kindi ofa car in so mama part thereof inclu'ding'its floor and under frarn'e' are concerned.

These objectsf are accomplished 1b the" means hereinafter fully described, and as' particularly pointed out "in theclaiins. In thedrawi'ngsz' Figure'l-is a plan View of a portion of a convertible freight and Specification of Letters Patent.

, Application filed October 26, 1910. Serial No. 589,096.

l tend from side-sill toxside-siltthrongh. pp

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

I dump-car embodying this invention showing the studding in section. Fig. 2 is a;- vertical longitudinal section of about one-half of said car, taken on dotted line 2.2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevationiof the remaining half of the car with the siding and roof of the body thereof removedfl FigA is :1 transverse vertical section takeii on dotted line 4, 4, Fig. 1. Figs. 5 and 6 aredetailviews' showing in section fragmentsof the edges of the covers or doors of the "hoppers;-

Generally speaking. this; {invention consists of a combination dum pT-car andfreightcar. the superstructure of'jvhich may be of any of the standard box-car ,types,bi 1 t'the7,0 floor of which is made of sectionssome which serve as doorsforthe hoppers, built' i sothat by proper manipulation it nay'bef made either flat throughoutthe length the-car, or changed to slope -or incline from each end toward the centei-lfofthesameand discharge into the hoppersthat are arranged on each side of the center of 'itslength and on either side of the center-sill: thereof. e

The underframe of the car" is, in its essent-ials, the same as that shown in" said \Yil liani P. Bettendorfs applic ation for Letters Patent. now pending in the Unitedjstatesg v Patent Oflice. and filed Ma -c1113. 1908,: .se. j rial No. 362,176, and consists ofchannel f shaped end-sills, A, chani ehshaped d e-,1 sills B,'B,.and a single center-sill C terminates between and has its. ends iadjae, cent to the body-bolsters (notsh WnLf The center-s ill, C, consists of an I-.beam,' .which 7 has the top of its flanges in the 'same ;h0rizontal plane as the top of theupper flanges of the channel iron side-sills, .bu't it is. con-Q I allel castmetal draft-sills arch oventlje a owe flang s f t e n i ii es n e sa sill, and embrace and. aresecurely tastened;.., to the. web thereof. "The, side-sills are. Icons nected by needle-beams a,,.;C OI1 SiStiI1g-.Of-{COIh tinnous l-beanis that are secured t0; and ex.-

. m n th iwe tithesce e -si These needle-beams are preferably-located; 1 an equal distance in front-ofpand-tqthe rear 1 e of the center of length ofthe; canand byrreferring 'to the drawings it willbe observed that their upper flanges are inclined to siderably heavier and deeper;than tlievlatter l v bolsters and. fit snugly between the ilpp l;

from the center of the car, about in the transverse plane of the point where the re.- duction of the ends of the center-sill commence. k

'The hoppers of the car are arranged in i pairsyone pair in front of the center of length of the car and the other to the rear thereof, and are about ten feet in length.

" The bottoms 2 of the portions of these hoppers nearest the bolsters incline downward '1 longitudinally from a point slightly above the plane of the upper edge of the centersill, in a transverse plane near that of needie-beams b, and extend over and are supported upon the inclined upper flanges of gosaid needle-beams. and terminate within about four feet of the center of the car, and

about a foot above the rails. The ends of these hoppers opposite the top of the in clined bottoms 2 terminate at the center of the car, and it is preferable to use one strip of sheet metal for the bottoms 3,3, of the aliir ing hoppers located on thesame side of the center-sill. This is accomplished by bending .said sheet metal plate so that its center of length will constitute a transverse ridge which will be in the horizontal plane of the. surface of the cap-plate, 5, and shed downward to its lower edge, which is about three feet-from the center of the car in a horizontal plane intersecting the needle-beams above their lower flanges. The lower edge of the longer inclined bottom portion, 2, constitutes the lower edge of the discharge-opening of the hopper, and the lower edges of the floor 40 portion, 3, forms the upper edge thereof.

Now the cap-plate 5, consists of a channeled shaped strip of sheet metal. the central portion of which is raised to make a longitudi nal plateau. This cap-plate is secured to the upper edge of'the center-sill in any suitable manner and extends from a point above one needle-beam b. to the other needle-beam I). The walls 7 of the hoppers next the centersill are vertical; their upper edges are riveted or otherwisesecured to the upturned flanges of the longitudinal edges of the cap-plate. and their lower edges are flanged outward and the bottom plates of the hopper rest upon said flanged edges and are riveted or otherwise secured thereto.

The outer walls 8 of the hoppers have their upper edges flanged outward and secured to the upper flanges of the channel beam side-sills B, and incline downward so therefrom and have their lower edges flanged inward and the bottom plates of the hopper resting upon and riveted thereto.

The vertically disposed edges of the dis charge-openings of the hoppers. and also the lower edges are reinforced, preferably,

by metal strips 9, and these discharge-openings are closed by doors 10. Each of these doors consists of a. plate of sheet metal of the trapezoidal shapeof the disclmrge-opening. and have their edges flanged outward, and each is hinged by means of suitable knuckle plates 12, riveted to their outer surfaces near their upper edges. and companion knuckle-plates 13, secured to the under surface of the bottom portion 3 of the hopper. through the medium of a pintle-bolt. 14, substantially as shown in the drawings. When said doors are closed they can be kept closed by means of dogs. 15, 15, that are secured to the ends of a transverse rockshaft. 16. journaled near the lower edge of the door in bearings 17. secured to the outer surfaces thereof. The outer end of shaft 16 is bent at right angles thereto to afford a handle with which to rock it, and the inner dogs, 15, and the outer dogs are adapted to catch over the contiguous projecting ends of the metal reinforcing strips 9.

The months or openings into the hoppers are rectangular. and if the transverse ridge separating the two alining hoppers on the same side of the center-sill be excepted, the openings extend from the end of one hopper nearest the bolster to the opposite end. of the alininghopper near the opposite holster. The hoppers on the same side of the car are Closed, when it is desired to convert the same into a flat-bottomed car. by three doors or coversl 18. 19 and 20. The central door, 19, is made of one or more sheet metal plates, and is of such rectangular dimensions as to cover the space between the side-sills and the center-sill. and so as to lap over the latter, and it is of such length as to extend from the transverse vertical plane of the lower edge of the bottom 3 of one hopper. to the transverse vertical plane of the lower edge of bottom 3 of the alining hopper. The doors 1S and 20 are also made of one or more plates of sheet metal and cover an equal rectangular area that doors 19 do, and are of such length as to extend from the vertical transverse plane of the needle-beam n. to the adjacent transverse edge of the central door 19. The longitudinal edges of these doors adjacent to the side-sills are rolled back upon themselves and a rod filler 31 is inserted in the bore of the tube thus formed and these edges are pivoted in open bearing blocks; 20, supported upon and secured to the upper flanges of the side-sills. The opposite longitudinal edges 21, of-said doors lap over the side-flanges of the capplate and terminate and rest upon the central raised portion of the same, and between said central raised portion and the side flanges of the cap-plate. they are guttered or dipped downward. Bet-ween their longitudinal edges. all of these doors are provided with longitudinal corrugations 22 that extend almost, but not quite, from end to end thereof, and these corrugations have wooden? strips-23 seated therein. In order to accomthe ends of the strips of wood and confine' the same in place. The transverseedgesof the doors 18 and 20, are provided with gutters 33, and the inner margins of these gutters are depressed and the outer edges flanged outward, and a flat metal reinforc-' ing strip is riveted to said depressed marginal surface and to said flanged edgesand covers overth'e guttered portion and make a transverse tubular edge for said doors that are strong and inflexible, and are provided withna lip .34 which, when said doors are all closed, lap over the-adjacent edges of the door 19, on one side thereof and over the floor sections of the car on the other side. When these doors are raised,to convert the car into adump-car, they are secured to the side-walls of the body of the car in their raised position by any suitable means, say, a hook oro'hain, and when in this raised position the middle -seetions will swing up directly"across'the side door openings of the car and thus be made to perform the duty of grain or coal doors.

The floor of the car between the ends thereof and transverse vertical planes of the needle'heanis 12, consists of floor-sections 25,

that extend from side-sill to side-sill and consist of several longitudinally disposed sheet-metal plates, whose longitudinal edges are flanged downward and riveted together.

Between .seams these plates are provided with longitudinal corrugations that extend from one transverse edge to the other and are filled by wooden strips 26.-@ The transverse edges of this floor-section are rolled under tomakeilibulai 'edges 27, and when this floor-section is'resting fiat upon the sidesills and center-sill, the tubular edges nearest the hopper will come under the overlapping edge of the adjacent edge of doors 18 and 20, as stated.

\Vhen it is desired to, convert the car into a dump-car,"the end offfloor-section 25, next the end ofthecar, is raised, and when it is inthe desired inclined position toshed its load into the hopper, the end next the end of, the car is supported in any suitable man- 'ner, either by' temporary, braces or struts underneath, or by hooks above, or byany other means, that will keep it in contact with theend .of the body of the car. The operation of, this invention will be q is'readily understood from the foregoing description, but it is desired to add that any .ot the details of its structure may be changed -or modified according to the exigencies and v requirements of orders that may be obtained for these cars. All such changes or modifications are considered: as coming within the scope of this'invention.

What is claimed asnew is l. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, and trucks supportin the same, hoppers carried by said under rame and located on each side of the transverse centertof the car between said trucks, transverse doors for closing the mouths of said hoppers, doors closing the discharge openings of said hoppers and longitudinally tiltable floor-sections extending from the end walls of the car to and" over the adjacent edges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are supported.-

2. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, and trucks supporting the same, hoppers carried "by said underframe and located oneach side of the transverse center of the car, between said trucks, a series of transverse doors on each sideof the car for closing the mouths of said hoppers, doors closing the discharge openings of said hoppers and longitudinally tiltable floorsections extending from the end walls of the car to and over the adjacent edges ofthe hoppers and upon which said transverse hopperdoors are supported.

- 3. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, and trucks supporting the same, correspondingalining hoppers carried bv said underframe, and located on each side of the transverse center of the car be tween said trucks, transverse doors for closing the months of said hoppers, doors closing the discharge openings of said hoppers and longitudinally tiltable floor-sections extending from theend walls of the car to and over theadjacent edges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are supported. a. i

4;. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, and trucks supporting the same, corresponding aiming hoppers carried by said underframe, and located on each side of the transverse center of the car between said trucks, a series of transverse doors on each side of the car for closing the mouths of said hoppers, doors closing the discharge openings .of a said hoppers, and longitudinally tiltable floor-sectionsextending from the end walls of the car to: and over the adjacent edges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are, supported a 5. A car of the,kind-specified,comprising an underframe' consistingof end sills, side-' sills, center-sill and bolsters alining hoppersarranged on each 'sideof said center-sill between said bolsters, ftransverse doors for :los in g' the mouths of said hoppersflioors and over the adjacent edges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are supported.

6. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underfranie. consisting of end-sills, sidesills. centerrsill and bolsters, alining hoppers arranged on each slde of said centersill between sald bolsters, a series of three transverse doors, the longitudinal edges of which over-lap the center-sill, and the transverse edges of the central door of ,which lap over the contiguous edges of the other doors when closed over the mouths of said hoppers, doors closing the discharge openings of the same. and longitudinally tiltable floorsections extending from the end walls of the car to and over the adjacent edges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are supported.

7. Acar of the kind specified, comprising an underfra-ine, consisting of end-s1lls, sidesills, center-sill and bolsters; aliiiing hoppers arranged on each sideof said centersill between said bolsters, transverse sheetmetal doors, the transverse edges of which are tubular, for closing the mouths of said hoppers. doors closing the discharge openings of said hoppers, and longitudinally tiltv able floor-sections extending from the end ing lon walls of the car to and over the adjacent edges ofthe hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are supported.

8. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, consisting of end-sills, sidesills, center s-ill'and bolsters, alining hoppers arranged on each side of said centersill between said'bolsters, sheet-metal doors for closing the mouths of said hoppers, havtudinal corrugations, and having the transverse edges thereof rolled into a tubular form, wooden strips seated in said corrugations; and longitudinally tiltable noppers and the ends of the car.

9. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, consisting of end-sills, sidesills, center-sill and bolsters, alining hoppers arranged on each side of said centerhopper doors are sill between saidbolsters,bearing-blocks secured upon said side-sills, a series of doors, the hinged edges of which are seated in said closing the mouths of said hoppers,1doors closing the discharge openings of the same and longitudinally tiltable floor-sections extending from the end walls of thecar to and over the adjacent edges of the hoppersand upon which said transverse supported.

10. A car of'the kind-specified,comprising an underfrai ne consisting of end-sills, sidesills, a single center-sill and bolsters, alining 'h oppers arranged on each side of said centerhoppers and upon sill, between said bolsters, a cap-plate covering said single center-sill between the transverse planes of the ends of said hoppers farthest from each other, having its sideedges flanged upward, transverse doors having one of their longitudinal edges hinged tothe sides of the car and having their opposite longitudinal edges lap over said flanges when the doors are closed over the mouths of said hoppers, doors closing the discharge 75 openings of the same, and tiltable floor-sections extending from the end walls of the car to and over the adjacentedges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doors are supported. 8 11. A car of the kind specified. comprising an underfralne consisting of end-sills. side-sills, a single center-sill and bolsters,

-alining hoppers arranged on each side of said center-sill, between said bolster. a cap- 3 plate covering said single-center-sill between the transverse planes of the ends of said hoppers farthest from each other, having its side-edges flanged upward and between said flanges provided with a longitudinal cen tral plateau, transverse doors having one of their longitudinal edges hinged to the sides of the car and having their opposite longitudinal edges lap over said flanges onto said plateau when the doors are closed over the months of said hoppers, and sagged downward, 01' guttered between said flanges and plateau. doors closing the discharge openings of the hoppers and tiltable floor-sections extending from the end walls of the 00 car to' and over the adjacent edges of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper doorsare supported;

12. A car of the kind specified. compris-v ing an underfiame. consisting of end-sills, 10F side-sills, center-sill and bolster, alining sheet-metal hoppers arranged on each side of said center-sill between said bolsters, having a long slopingbottom extending from the ends nearest the bolsters toward the center of the car, and a short inclined bottom at their opposite ends, the lower edges of which terminate above that of the longer sloped bottom portion. doors closing the discharge openings of said hoppers, vertically disposed side-walls, a cap-plate covering said center-sills between the farthest ends of said hoppers, having upwardly flanged longitudinal edges to which the upper edges of the inner side-walls of said hoppers are secured.

transverse doors for closing the mouths of said hoppers, and tiltable floorsections extending from the end walls ofthe car to and over the adjacent edges of the which said transverse hopper doors aresupported.

13. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underfraine. and trucks supporting the same. hoppers carried by the underframe and located on each side of the center of the 1 ca-i. between said trucks, and transverse doors, -liaving reinforced edges, means for stlfienlng'the same, and longitudinally .tiltable floor-sections extending from the end Walls-of the car to and over the adjacent edges of thevhoppers and upon'wh ich said transverse hoppe y'doors are supported.

14. A car of the kind specified, comprising an under-frame, and trucks supporting the same, hoppers carried by said underframe and located on each side ofthe transverse center of the car, between said trucks,

transverse doors for closing the mouths of SZtICl' -lIOPP GLL'S, doors closing the discharge openings of the same and longitudinally tiltable floor sections extending fi oin the end walls of the car to and over the adja-- cent edges-of the hoppers and upon which said transverse hopper d oors are supported.

15. A can of thekind specified, comprising an underframe, and trucks supportingthe same, hoppers carried by said underframe and located on each side ofthe transverse center of the car between said trucks,

transverse doors foiic'losing the mouths of said hoppers, and longitudinally t-iltable fioor se'otions between said hoppers and the ends of the car, having transverse edges rolled into tubular form, a suitable filler for said'edges, and means-for stiffening said floor sections.

16. A car of the kind specified, com'pris-j ing an underfran-ie, and trucks supporting the same, hoppers carried by said'under-- frame, and located on each side of the transverse center of the car between said trucks, transverse doors for closing the" .mouths of said hoppers, and longitudinally tiltable floor-sections between said hoppers and the ends of the car, having transverse edges rolled into tubular form, and provided with longitudinal corrugations, a metallic tiller inserted in said tubular edges, and wooden-strips seated and secured in said corrugations.

17. convertible car, comprising end- SlllS, side-sills,- a center-sill, bolsters, and I- beam needle-beams extending from side-sill to s1de-sill, and having their upper flanges inclined, two pairs ofalining opposed hoppers having downwardly inclined bottoms that rest upon and are supported by the inclined flanges of said needle-beams, vertically dlsposed side-walls, floor-sections, and doors closing the discharge openings of said hoppers.

18. A car of the kind specified, comprislng an underframe, hoppers carried thereby, a floor for said car adapted to cover over said hoppers consisting of transversely closing doors and longitudinally inclinable floor sections, said doors and sections hav-' mg longltudinal corrugations therem, and

timbers seated in said corrugations.

19. A car of the kind specified, comprising an underframe, hoppers carried thereby,

a .tloor for said car adapted to cover over said hoppers and consisting of transversely closing doors and longitudinally inclinable floor-sections having overlapping edges andv JOSEPH \V. BETTENDORF, Administrator of the estate of llillz'am P.

Bettemlorf, deceased.

WVitnesses:

A. B. FRENIER, HENRY BELLINGHAUSEN. 

